Musings by me, myself and occasionally I. Be prepared for anything from sport to current affairs, politics to just real life. I hope you enjoy and thank you in advance for reading

Monday, 24 November 2014

What to do with the misfiring Gunners?

IT'S fair to say Arsene Wenger has
probably had better days at the office, an awful result again,
shambolic defending and an increasingly vocal Emirates expressing
their displeasure.

We don't do white hankies ala Barcelona
or Real Madrid, but if we did there would have been more than enough
on display to wipe up the red wine allegedly thrown at the Manchester
United bench on Saturday evening, such was the anger at full time.

Why? Because yet again Arsenal have
battered a team only to be caught out and beaten. If matches were
played on stats and on paper Arsenal would have done the treble more
than once.

But they aren't and again Arsenal
huffed and puffed and just before blowing the house down decided to
hold their breath some more.

Truth be told Arsenal should have been
at least two goals to the good before the defensive calamaties but
equally could have been down to 10 men as Jack Wilshere's fuse once
again was lit far too easily for my liking.

Instead, a silly own goal gave United a
lead they did not deserve and then Arsenal's lemming like attitude to
push up the field gave United an easy second. It should have been
three as Di Maria missed when it was easier to score.

What to do? Sack the manager? No, no
our club owes Wenger more than that. Without him in 1996 Arsenal
could have fallen away so badly we could have ended up like Leeds
United.

But the time has come for someone at
the Emirates to sit down with Arsene and ask about the future, does
he want to carry on? Lately in after match interviews he is looking
more and more like a man who doesn't have the answers he needs to
find.

The problems aren't deep rooted, they
can be fixed but Arsene needs to adapt his methods somewhat.

The back four needs training, to defend
as a unit and to stop getting caught up field so often. Steve Bould
is sitting there like a bubble in a can. Surely training can be
adapted to allow one of George's legendary back four to nurture the
current four incumbents.

A couple of a players need a kick up
the backside. In my opinion one of them is Wilshere, if he put in as
much effort into developing his talent as he does effing and jeffing
referee's the kid would world class. I love Wilshere, a local lad
done good, but his constant temper tantrums are beginning to wear
thin.

Wojciech Szczesny needs reminding he's
won nothing of note yet, the man is very good with the banter but
frankly got a lesson in goalkeeping from David De Gea on Saturday
night, another playing behind a rather porous defence.

Arteta is no longer a starter and
certainly not captain. Mertesacker retired from German duty, is very
vocal, give him the captaincy – if that doesn't 'motivate' him then
maybe ask him to move on.

And buy, buy in January – Arsenal
need a centre half and a defensive midfielder. Maybe just maybe
something can be salvaged from what is beginning to look like a
worrying campaign.

The 'Arsene Knows' banner still proudly
takes its place at every home game. More and more though are
wondering 'does he?'